The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed center Nikola Pekovic to a five-year, $60 million contract, according to ESPN.com, citing sources. There are reportedly no options for both Pekovic and the Timberwolves in the deal.
Pekovic had been a restricted free agent but teams were not aggressively courting the 27-year old big man. Many organizations felt no matter what they offered Pekovic, the T-Wolves were prepared to match it.
Sources said the agreement was solidified when the T-Wolves added the fifth year.
Team President Flip Saunders, who took over for David Khan this spring, said he was glad to have “Pek” back, especially since the center and all-star power forward Kevin Love have the potential to be a devastating big man duo.
"Retaining Pek was our No. 1 priority this offseason, and we're very excited that he's chosen to continue his career in Minnesota," Saunders said. "Thanks to a lot of hard work and determination, Pek has developed into one of the NBA's premier centers and is entering the prime of his career. We envision Pek and Kevin Love being the 'Bruise Brothers' and forming one of the best frontcourts in the NBA for a long time to come."
The Timberwolves are hoping to get a healthy Love back this season after missing most of last season due to a knee injury.
Pekovic is an above-average low post scorer and a good defender. In the 2012-2013 regular season he averaged 16.3 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds per game.
In addition to Pekovic, the T-Wolves also signed shooting guard Kevin Martin and guard/forward Corey Brewer.
Pekovic was originally supposed to play with the Montenegro national team in September for the Eurobasket tournament. However, he had to pull out due to the unfinished contract negotiations. He has been spending the offseason in Montenegro, his home country.
